by Cyn’s Corner

One thing I knew going into Dhurandhar was that there were no music videos, and for an Indian film, that immediately earned it some points with me. Any singing or dancing that does happen is built into the story itself — weddings, real moments — not those big, jarring musical breaks that pull you out of the narrative. That helped keep me engaged right away, and it also helped that I ended up enjoying the movie quite a bit.

This is a long film, but I was never bored. Despite some listings, the actual runtime is closer to three hours and fifteen minutes, with the extra time often reported likely coming from an intermission that not every theater even honors. The film opens with the Netflix logo, so it’s safe to assume this will be landing there if it hasn’t already. It’s also clearly a Part One, with the second half coming in March 2026, and yes — I’ll be watching it.

The story is very loosely inspired by real events, but the main narrative and characters are mostly fictional. It’s told in chapters and references real-world attacks on India, including the Kandahar hijacking, the Indian Parliament attack, and the Mumbai attacks. At one point, the film even uses actual audio from an attack, which is genuinely unsettling. Watching this, it’s not hard to see why many critics aren’t on board — the film directly addresses Islamic terrorism, and that alone makes it controversial for some people.

The plot is dense and you do have to pay attention. There are a lot of characters and moving parts, and while there were moments where I had to mentally catch up, I was never truly lost. Once things start clicking, the story holds together well.

Visually, the film looks great. Indian cinema really knows how to frame characters, and Dhurandhar uses that style effectively without going completely overboard. Both the hero and the villain are shot in a way that makes them feel visually striking, and the main actor has a strong screen presence. The violence is also graphic in some parts, with some brutal kills and solid effects.

What really makes the film work for me is the writing of its central characters. The main antagonist is layered and nuanced, not a cartoon villain, and the protagonist has more depth than your typical action hero. You don’t get all his backstory at once, which makes him more interesting.

The downsides are mostly familiar action-movie issues. There are shootouts where characters don’t seem to run out of bullets, cars somehow stop bullets they shouldn’t, and enemies miss when the plot needs them to. I also wasn’t thrilled with the female lead — while the romance subplot itself works within the story, her character is frustrating at times, especially during a scene where her response to the situation just don’t track logically.

There’s also a moment near the end involving the protagonist wanting to keep someone alive that could have used a bit more explanation. I think I get why it matters, but a little extra exposition would have helped.

Overall, Dhurandhar is a stylish, plot-heavy action thriller with strong performances, good writing, and a willingness to tackle uncomfortable subject matter head-on. It’s not perfect, but if you like action films, spy intrigue, and Indian cinema, this is definitely worth your time — and it sets things up well for Part Two.

Rating: 7.5/10